Raiders preseason opener gives Mendoza live test

The Raiders are not treating Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals like a throwaway.

Klint Kubiak said Tuesday that the starters will play, Fernando Mendoza will get “plenty of reps” and the full operation will get its first game-speed test under a new head coach. Kubiak would not reveal snap counts or series plans, but he made the bigger point clear: the Raiders have a roster to evaluate, and the first preseason game will matter.

“We’re going to have a lot of guys playing in this game,” Kubiak said. “We need to evaluate the whole roster.”

That starts with Mendoza, the rookie quarterback trying to turn camp progress into something more tangible. Kubiak said Mendoza could get some work with parts of the starting offensive line, but he declined to map out exactly how the quarterback rotation will unfold.

“He’s going to get plenty of experience in the game,” Kubiak said. “I look forward to seeing him out there with his teammates.”

Mendoza gets live bullets

The Raiders have praised Mendoza’s preparation throughout camp, and quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan recently detailed how the rookie studied every pass from OTAs. Kubiak added to that Tuesday, saying Mendoza stands out among young quarterbacks he has coached because of his preparation.

“At that position, the expectation is to be the most prepared guy in the building,” Kubiak said. “You say that, but not everybody really acts that way.”

That is a strong endorsement, but Kubiak also drew the line between camp growth and game evaluation. Mendoza has adjusted well when practice looks different from the playbook, and Kubiak said the rookie has avoided repeating mistakes.

Now comes the part practice cannot fully create.

“Now it comes to live bullets with a live pass rush, and that’ll be a whole different animal,” Kubiak said.

That is the real quarterback storyline Thursday. The Raiders do not need Mendoza to look perfect, and one preseason game will not rewrite the depth chart. They need to see how he handles speed, contact, communication and pressure against another team.

Kubiak gets his own test

Thursday will also be Kubiak’s first game running the team and calling plays. He has coached in Allegiant Stadium before as an opponent, but this will be his first time managing the Raiders’ sideline, communication and offensive rhythm from the head coach’s chair.

Kubiak did not pretend that part will be simple.

“I think it’ll be baptism by fire,” Kubiak said. “I’ll be finding out pretty quickly what it’s all about Thursday.”

That honesty matters because preseason is not only about players fighting for jobs. It is also where new staffs test communication, headset mechanics, game-day roles and situational operation before the regular season starts.

Kubiak said he will lean heavily on his staff, including Mike McCoy, Rob Leonard and Joe D. Camillis. He stressed that no NFL game gets called or managed alone.

“I’ve never called a game by myself,” Kubiak said. “We do it with the whole offensive staff.”

Tuesday night’s practice at Allegiant Stadium was part of that preparation. Kubiak said the Raiders wanted coaches in headsets, players on the stadium grass and everyone getting comfortable in the environment before Thursday.